What Jobs To Do In the Garden In September

When I think of what jobs to do in the garden in September, I focus on the harvest, which fruit and vegetables need to be gathered and stored.

I also love collecting seed heads from my favourite flowers. Trees, shrubs and flowers will produce many seeds than is usual, if they are stressed in any way. Too much water, lack of water, low nutrients are just some reasons why  plants produce more seeds. Seeds are their survival mechanism.

September is a beautiful month for me. The light is softer, the colours more muted. It’s nearing the end of summer and autumn is upon us. Following the wet and dreary summer, gardens are actually looking more lush and full-some than in other warmer years. The temperatures this summer have been low and at least with the high rain fall we haven’t had to water our gardens often.
Early mornings now carry a touch of mist and that hangs on the countryside and cooler temperatures. As we move into September, I for one, am hoping for some warm sunny days.

Trees will soon start to take on their autumn gold and russet gowns. Birds and hibernating wildlife are foraging for as much food as they can find. I absolutely love the sounds, tones and textures of autumn gardens, don’t you?

There is a bounty of wild fruits in the hedgerows, blackberry and apple crumble beckons. It’s a time for thankfulness, a calmness seems to descend after the riotous colour and glory of summer.

Gardens still abound with late summer colour from dahlias, roses, lilies, crocosmia, Viburnum Bonariensis and canna, and late summer flowering shrubs

Asters and sedums are about to burst into bloom, filled with nectar for our pollinators.

There is a wealth of plants, shrubs and trees that will give our gardens colour and variety throughout the autumn season.

 

What Jobs To Do In The Garden In September – Beds and Borders

Continue deadheading flowers to promote new buds and prolong the flowering season. Particularly with plants such as dahlias, rudbeckia and echinacea, roses and penstemon, all of which will continue flowering and providing interest until the first frosts.

Herbaceous perennials can be cut back but do bear in mind that these plants can provide a wealth of autumn and winter food and shelter for wildlife so don’t be too tidy, leave some uncut.

Echinops and eryngium provide seeds for birds and add interest though winter, they look lovely when caught with a frost on a cold morning.

September is an ideal month to take semi-ripe plant cuttings to provide new plants.

Many plants can be propagated this way such as heathers, lavenders, hebes and viburnums.

Divide herbaceous perennials. This ensures your plants remain healthy, they don’t become congested and it provides you with additional plants.

Find a great selection of autumn plants here.

Plants that you can add to the borders now for some autumn colour are:

• Calendula
• Chrysanthemum
• Cyclamen
• Cosmos
• Rudbeckia
• Pansies
• Violas
• Sedums
• Heuchera
• Asters
• Ornamental grasses

See also my article

Planting Ideas for Autumn Containers.

 

What Shrubs And Trees To Prune In September

Trim hornbeam and beech hedges to keep them neat. New foliage will still grow which will keep the hedges looking good and healthy throughout winter.

Prune lightly any summer flowering shrubs such as Helianthemum, Cistus and lavender.

Prune rambling and climbing roses. Read my article how-do-you-grow-roses-secrets-of-success for guidance on pruning roses.

Also, check out my review best-secateurs-review

 

General Maintenance

Order nematodes for control of slugs, lawn pests like leather jackets and chafer grubs and vine weevil larvae.

Use nematodes whilst soil and compost temperatures are still adequately high enough for them to be effective.

Clean bird tables, feeders and bird baths. Keep bird baths topped up with clean water.

Whilst the weather is still warm weed growth is active so continue to weed paths, driveways and patios to keep them looking neat and tidy. An electric-weed-burner makes the job of weeding easier and more tolerable.

Sweep/clear leaves that are starting to fall, compost them.

Net ponds now to prevent any leaf fall getting in them.

7 Best Ways To Drought Proof Your Garden 

Autumn Lawn Care

Autumn lawn care begins now, one of the most important jobs to do in the garden in September is your lawn maintenance, if the grass is still growing strongly do it this month.

Scarify lawns to rake out any thatch and moss. Read my product review for the bosch-avr-1100w-verticutter-scarifier-and-lawn-raker-review

Aerate by spiking with a garden fork. This eases compaction and gets air and new life into lawns.

Continue mowing and trim the edges. A lawn will grow at temperatures as low as 5degrees, so unless we have a harsh, snowy, icy winter they will warrant mowing.

Lawns can also be top dressed and seeded to keep them healthy and have them ready to grow lush and green in the spring.

Feed with an autumn feed which is high in potassium, low in nitrogen.

Autumn Lawn Maintenance in 5 easy steps.

What To Do With Vegetables and Fruit In September

Pick apples and pears as they ripen. Use any damaged/bruised ones first and store the unblemished ones. Store in a cool, dark area, in boxes or crates or even make use of an old set of drawers or shelving, ideal for storing apples.

Pot up strawberry runners to provide new plants for next summer.

Harvest plums and preserve in jams, chutneys, or freeze for later use in pies and crumbles etc.

After summer raspberries are finished, cut the fruited canes back down to the ground. New, young canes can be tied into supports or wires.

After harvesting squash and pumpkins, leave them in the sun to cure, this hardens the skins which prolongs storage.

Plant onion sets in late September or October for an early crop in June or July.

Harvest potatoes

Continue watering and feeding runner beans and French beans to get the best out of the last of them.

Any veg and fruit glut can be frozen or preserved, nothing beats homemade jams, jellies and chutneys. Check out some recipes here.

Pick blackberries as they ripen, try not to eat them all before you get back to the kitchen.

Remove any remaining old crops, clear paths in the veg garden, remove support canes and ties if not being used and weed.

 

Future Planning

As you can see, there is plenty to keep us busy in our gardens this month.

Enjoy the lovely weather, long may it last and we are granted an Indian Summer.

Make the most of what is left of the evening daylight. I love to sit out in my garden in the evenings, just as it is becoming dusk. Everything quietens, slows down. I can listen to the birds evensong and take stock of my day. It’s peaceful.

Please share this blog with your friends and family and on social media and drop me a message, questions, thoughts and your views in the comments box. I enjoy hearing from you and I always reply as soon as possible.

Happy Gardening.